GRDC Podcast

Changing rainfall patterns in the drier parts of the western region have prompted a rethink of strategies for grower Clint Della Bosca. On this podcast focusing on stubble management in Western Australia, Clint talks about the vital importance of stubble in his system as weather patterns unfamiliar to his area begin to emerge. Clint is undertaking a soil amelioration program while adjusting to les...

Plant Available Water, is key to determining potential crop yield. It’s also the basis for sowing decisions and fertiliser applications. Many things affect how much stored soil water is available, rainfall before and during the growing season, infiltration, evaporation and transpiration. And then there’s Plant Available Water Capacity, which is the total amount of water a soil can store and releas...

As many Western and Southern region grain growers start preparations for sowing this year’s winter crops, there are still a few areas in the eastern states northern region where late sown summer crops such as sorghum are still standing. In this podcast you’ll hear from a leading authority on Mouse behaviour and management, about the challenges facing growers yet to harvest and those needing to pla...

New research is harnessing advanced computer capabilities and artificial intelligence to fast-track the development of new barley varieties with improved foliar pathogen resistance – shaving years off conventional breeding program processes. Dr Kai Voss-Fels is the project lead and senior research fellow with the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, based at the University of Q...

Foliar diseases are a major constraint to profitable barley production across Australia, affecting both yield and quality. In this podcast, senior plant pathologist Dr. Lisle Snyman from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland discusses the presence and spread of barley foliar pathogens across Australia's growing regions. Dr Snyman was part of the barley foliar pathogen project. The...

Growers are set to get better variety recommendations faster through a new GRDC investment, INVITA, which is adding value to the National Variety Trial (NVT) program. The investment is led by Prof Scott Chapman from the University of Queensland (UQ) which is working in collaboration with Australian partner, CSIRO. The investment, INVITA, leverages off a major EU investment INVITE (Innovations in p...

Until now, only limited information has been available about in-paddock summer weed distribution and abundance in Western Australia. However, a two-year survey, which will be completed in 2021, will provide hard numbers for the entire wheatbelt. The survey, completed with investment from the GRDC, has been coordinated by Albany-based agronomist Andrew Storrie, of AGRONOMO. Contact: Andrew Storrie,...

A new GRDC publication containing the latest research into canola production in Western Australia’s low rainfall zones is now available. This detailed GRDC publication also contains grower case studies outlining how growers manage their crops to get the best results in these challenging environments. In this podcast you’ll hear from one of those growers Tony Murfit, who farms near Merredin, about...

Australia’s ongoing reliance on a limited range of chemicals has set a concerning trajectory for insecticide resistance. Integrated pest management (IPM) strategies play an important role in curbing future resistance cases, however there’s a strong social dynamic at play when it comes to growers and advisers adopting these strategies on-farm. In this podcast, Bruce Howie from C-Qual Agritelligence...

At the December 2020 Crop Protection Forum in Perth, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development research scientist Ben Congdon spoke about the collaborative research effort underway to develop better proactive management strategies for Green Peach Aphid. GPA is a major vector for the transmission of Turnip yellows virus, a serious disease of canola crops which can result in yield lo...

Roberto Busi from the GRDC-supported Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative is working on the use of herbicide mixes as a powerful tool to combat resistant weeds. Dr Busi gave a presentation on this subject at the Crop Protection Forum in Perth in late 2020. Contact Roberto Busi roberto.busi@uwa.edu.au Useful resouces Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (AHRI) Centre for Crop and Diseas...

Many decisions growers make are the result of trials undertaken to test any number of variables. These small plot trials are replicated and the results are reliable because they are small plots with little chance of spatial variability. However, the same analysis that is used to decide the results of small plot trials can not be transferred to large plot trials. On this podcast, Katia Stefanova an...

Calcareous soils are very common in the southern grain-growing region and cover 60% of the region’s cropping country. These soils are high in calcium carbonate, resulting in poor crop establishment and low grain yields compared to less hostile soils. But a new research initiative is set to improve the grain industry’s understanding of these soils and how they constrain crop yield and profitability...

The Kuhlmann family has been farming on the western side of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula for more than a hundred years. Peter Kuhlmann is the latest generation to farm the challenging calcareous soils in this part of the state. Like many growers, Peter has been keen to see more done to better understand these soils and has welcomed the new GRDC calcareous soils investment. The $6.75 million GR...

For grower James Heggaton who farms around Kojunup in Western Australia, stubble is a crucial part of his farming system but one that must be actively managed year on year. On this podcast, which is one of a limited series looking at how farmers are managing stubble across the western region, James explains the role of stubble in a climate where moisture retention is just one of the factors that g...

Stubble retention is practiced by farmers across the western cropping region for a variety of reasons. A special series of GRDC/West Australian No Tillage Farmers Association podcasts have been produced featuring growers and advisers who explain how stubble retention fits into their systems, the advantages it brings and how they manage the issues sometimes heavy stubble loads create. On this podca...

For the past three years, researchers in Western Australia have been trialling innovative new pasture legume species suited to low to medium rainfall areas. The findings are clear - new species can overcome traditional barriers to use and deliver significant benefits to mixed farming enterprises. In this podcast, Professor John Howieson from Murdoch University discusses the research findings so fa...

Now is the time of year to test your paddock for dispersive soil. Many soils in south-eastern Australia have naturally dispersive topsoils that are prone to compaction, temporary water-logging and reduced seedling emergence. In this podcast, NSW Department of Primary Industries research Dr Ehsan Tavakkoli shares a simple one-hour soil test that quickly tells growers if dispersion is an issue in th...

The extraordinarily high winds experienced by growers around Geraldton in May 2020 emphasised the importance of retaining stubble as a means of protecting the soil. This podcast is one of a limited series looking at how farmers are managing stubble across the western region, brought to you by GRDC and the Wester Australian No Tillage Farmers Association. Farm consultant Craig Topham talks about th...

When it comes calculating fertiliser toxicity risk in the paddock, the tools and resources available to growers haven’t really changed over the past 70 years. But exciting new research at the University of Adelaide is modernising our understanding and approach to this important industry issue. In this podcast, research lead Jacinta Dockerill shares the latest fertiliser toxicity research findings...

Agricultural technology has a long way to go. That was the message mixed enterprise farmer and Nuffield scholar Andrew Slade delivered to those attending the 2020 Perth Grains Research Update. In this podcast, Andrew talks about what conclusions he came home with after his Nuffield study tour and what that means for the adoption of digital technology in the Australian farming sector. Andrew Slade,...

“The next wave of productivity improvements will come from … the soil itself.” That’s a quotation from a valuable online resource for growers and their advisers – a series of E-books on improving the soils that make up Australia’s grains belt. The E-books are interactive and easy to digest and promise users a unique experience when it comes to learning and the application of the information for pr...

Through the careful analysis of more than 18 years of paddock data, we now know that cropping weeds constantly evolve to evade all forms of weed control, including non-herbicide strategies. In this podcast, Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (AHRI) research agronomist, Dr Mike Ashworth, discusses the evolution of annual ryegrass and wild radish in our cropping systems, and how this informa...

Even though consultants haven’t traditionally seen discussions with growers about stress management and mental health as part of their role it actually makes good business sense. The ‘slow creep’ of drought-related stress is detrimental to growers if unaddressed, but supporting growers to understand and manage their stress helps to prevent developing mental health problems, while also supporting f...

Rhizoctonia will cause yield losses especially where cereal crops have had a dry finish, but because this disease doesn’t like moist soils, those growers who have received late spring rains are unlikely to notice any impact. What this season does emphasise, however, is the need to monitor crops as what might appear completely healthy above ground could be significantly impacted below ground. One o...